Fall 2025 Wine-share
Well, hello.
It’s spring again, almost summer some days, and we are releasing the 7th Midland vintage!
We’re still a young project, but as the vines get older and we “mature”, it’s clear that our wines are more than the expression of brothers working on hillsides, in the middle Shenandoah Valley, at a point in time. Midland is a collaboration between humans, plants, and microflora, and because the microbes, the vines, the people are all continually changed by this interwoven relationship, we are always becoming something new. Our goal is to document this progression in wines that are delicious and sculpted by the relationship of these three kingdoms of life.
If you find our wines distinctive, maybe it’s our connection with all the plants on the land, not just the vines, all the microorganisms, not just the yeast, and all the people who contribute to Midland, not just Tim and Ben. It’s easy to miss, and in fact it’s usually hidden from us as makers; it’s only on quiet evenings when the phones are down, when our minds mute the roar of the world, usually after one glass has permitted us to stop tasting and start enjoying. As we are communing with other humans, a subliminal touch occurs, leaving an impression. This is where wine stops being a product and becomes vitalizing, and it’s why winegrowing is such a compelling form of work for us.
Now! It’s easy to retreat into the philosophical, especially with the ever-present stress of being a small agricultural endeavor, so let’s stop and acknowledge: it’s your support of the Midland wine share that makes it possible for us to explore wine in this way. Farming and making demand 99% of our available time and energy, and the wine share lets us focus on winegrowing. Thank you for your support.
This share debuts the 2023s and closes out the 2019s, two warm, dry vintages that bring more density than is usually found in our wines. These bottles will leave an impression.
The Jordan Family
NOTES2023 Blaufränkisch, Mount Airy, Shenandoah Valley
Do you remember the 2019? We’re proud of every wine we bottle, but that was a vintage where this grape took us deep. 2023 has a lot in common with 2019, especially with respect to the density of flavor in Blaufränkisch, and the brooding nature of the fruit. You’ll want to coax this one, and it will reward the effort.
What should I use this wine for? This wine has more acidity than most Virginia reds, giving it added precision. Combine that with the intensity of the vintage and the aromatic and textural effect of 50% whole cluster, and we have a wine that can stand with the flavors of smoke and pepper, and all the summer foods with strong personalities.
2023 Riesling, Mount Airy, Shenandoah Valley
We have always identified with those who don’t fit in, because they don’t try to, they don’t care. The unbothered, the low-key weirdos, the too real, the “underground legends.” They may not get noticed, we may rarely hear their voices, but when we do, we listen. Of our wines, the Riesling is the unbothered, low key, too real, wine of the underground. No matter how we work toward a “normal” expression of this grape, it walks its own path, emerging enigmatic and beguiling. In 2023 we included 20% whole berries in the pressed juice, giving this wine a lightly macerated texture. It expresses the flavors and aromas of the plants growing alongside the vines, as the essential oils of flowers, wild mint, and native flora. If you’re expecting German Riesling, oh man we’re sorry, but if you love wine that never lets you see the bottom, and continues to show you the beauty of the edges, this is right where you need to be.
What should I use this wine for? When the meal veers unconventional, or brings complex, savory, fermented flavors, this is perfect. For your friends who embrace the natural flavors in life, the ones who can’t abide the monochromatic experience of factory food and drink, pour this in their glass and ponder the magic of spontaneous fermentation and hand crafted wine.
2019 Brut “Zero” Blanc de Blancs, Mount Airy, Shenandoah Valley
We love long lees aging. We left this wine longer in barrel (18 months) and in bottle (48 months). This deepens the flavor and texture and allows us to work without the addition of dosage/sweetness. There are few examples of wines that age for this long before release, but we love what it does, so we do it. As always, we’re saving a bottle of this for the fall share.
What should I use this wine for? Sparkling wine is for celebrations, right? Well, let’s celebrate Saturday night, or your next meal with your parents, or your favorite take out. Let’s take the pressure off the holidays and momentous events and celebrate the smaller occasions in life.
